The Elizabeth Chronicles: Book One
by vulpix sisters
Summary: There is a new demigod at camp, who is going to have a large impact on a certain hero's life.
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

The scenery was gradually changing as they moved further and further away from the city. Considering she had never visited New York city before and it had always been something she had wanted to see, Elizabeth had been more than a little upset with the fact that the only glimpse she got of the famous city was through the car window. Her mother sat in the front seat stressing about which would be the quickest route to get 'there'.

"I knew we should have bought sat nav…" Elizabeth heard her mother mutter to herself from the front seat. Talking to herself was one of her mother's many quirks. There was a map propped open on the passenger seat, occasionally her mother would glance at the unfolded piece of paper with a look of complete confusion. "Where is it we're actually going to mum?" Elizabeth asks for the hundredth time since she found out that her mum was taking her away for the summer. "Were nearly there sweetheart, you will see" her mother answers worryingly. Elizabeth gave up and sat back in her seat playing on her Nintendo DS.

It was not long till they started going along forest roads. Elizabeth could see a lake in the distance which made her smile; her eyes looked on intrigued, wondering if that's where she was going, maybe she could have a swim and get away from everyone like she usually did; she never felt like she fit in anywhere, never mind somewhere where she didn't know anyone. They finally pulled up at the bottom of a hill, in the middle of nowhere. "Here we are… I think…" her mother smiles as she looked at the huge pine tree near the top of the hill. Elizabeth shoved her ds back in her backpack and jumped out of the car. Even though she didn't think she would fit in she was still interested to see where she was going. Her mother pulled her in to a tight hug, "I'm going to miss you" she whispered in to her daughters ear as she kept her close. "I will miss you to mum, but I'm not going forever" she smiles innocently, completely unaware that her life was about to change forever. Gwen kissed her daughter on the cheek and smiles but Elizabeth could sense a hint of sadness in her mother's eyes. "Go straight up the hill towards the pine tree, you will see an arch way, go through there and head towards the farm house on the other side of the hill, go in there and tell them your name, you will be fine there, you will be safe…" Elizabeth didn't understand why her mum couldn't go with her but she knew not to question her mother, "love you" she gives her mother one last hug before heading towards the large pine tree which seemed to whisper in the wind.

"Just apologise and I can get back to…work" Percy looked exceedingly stressed, it was days like this deeply regretted being a head counsellor. Annabeth was so much better at this job, she always seemed to know just what to say or what to do and she was a massive hit with the younger campers.

"You mean so you can go back to sucking face with your girlfriend?" the younger camper grinned smugly, poking Percy in the ribs playfully "Aww, missing her already?"

"Shut up" Lucy Kent was annoying but she meant no harm, which was rare to find in the Hades cabin. She was gutsy and cocky but unlike the others in her cabin she wasn't a massive fan of needless violence. She had a few anger issues…that was a given, but she tolerable "Just apologise"

The little boy standing behind Percy looked about nine years old with a thick mop of mousy brown hair that seemed to stick out wildly in every direction, making him resemble a mad scientist from a black and white horror film. In actual fact the boy, Tommy, was nearly thirteen years old.

Lucy let out a long sigh and finally gave in "I'm sorry for what I said" Tommy smiled and was about to accept the apology but almost as if she couldn't resist herself, Lucy quickly added "But you know the truth hurts; you're not going to get a girlfriend if you're constantly sulking!"

"That's…not quite what I meant" Percy said trying to prevent Tommy from running off in a sulk. Luckily back up had arrived, Percy had never been more thankful to see Chiron in all of his life "Chiron! I could really…who's she?"

Beside him stood a rather shy little girl with short reddish curls and green eyes. She was standing quite timidly beside Chiron almost hiding behind him "New camper, I'm sure you can show her the ropes?"

"I'd love too but I'm meant to be planning the capture the flag event tonight with Annabeth in like…five minutes" Percy was running his hands through his hair. If he was honest he wasn't stressed about the young campers but more about the possibility of being late to see Annabeth.

"I'm sure that will be a very productive meeting…" Lucy sniggered, earning a smirk from Tommy which Percy, unfortunately for the young campers, heard.

Percy grinned and stepped aside placing a hand on each of Lucy's shoulders "Luckily though, Lucy and Tommy here have just volunteered to be tour guides" he gave the two campers a little shove forward.

"I hate you" Lucy crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly, not noticing the glares Tommy was sending her.

The shy girl giggled a little at the other campers and Percy, her gaze met Tommy's and she smiled sweetly at him. "They can gladly take her on the tour…with your supervision" Chiron smirked at Percy.

Percy's face fell; he had truly believed he had found a way to see Annabeth on time. The gods weren't so kind. Perhaps he wasn't facing life and death situations every other day now but his luck had certainly not improved. "Fine"

"Why don't you bring Annabeth with you?..." the small girl suggested. Tommy was watching the girl admiringly as she spoke. Percy went to protest but then realised that it was actually a good idea, he huffs still sulking that he had to take the new girl on a tour.

"Come along then…" Percy said beginning to walk off before quickly turning around to glare at Tommy and Lucy "You two as well" Elizabeth walks next to Percy, shying away from the eyes of other camp members who are curious of the newcomer. "You will be staying in cabin 11, the Hermes cabin, they take all the new comers and the undeclared half-bloods" Elizabeth looked at him confused, "What exactly is a 'half-blood'?" Percy began to explain everything about the camp and the gods, as Elizabeth listened to him intently and the other two bickered and shoved each other.

"My Dad would totally kick your dad's ass" Lucy spoke sounding tired, as if this is something she has had to explain numerous times before

Tommy stopped for a second waving his hands up in exasperation "I don't even know who my dad is yet Lucy!"

"And last but not least…the lake" Percy finished leaning against one of the rails along the edge of the small pier "So what you think?"

Elizabeth smiled and leaned down to play with the water. "The camp is amazing. I can't believe that a place like this exists or that I'm meant to be here" she sighs; still feeling like she doesn't belong whilst she makes ripples in the water making her feel calmer.

"Can you never shut up!" Tommy complained trying, with very little success, to move away from her. She simply kept following him around singing annoyingly down his ear. Tommy might have had the reputation of being somewhat a cry baby but he had his moments. He could stand his ground and with Lucy…well, let's just say it wouldn't be the first time. Eventually getting angry, he gave her a light shove.

Percy, however, was completely oblivious to shove war that was obviously about to kick off for he had seen a certain blonde haired girl sitting at the lakes edge which he had been dying to see all day. "Hey…"

"Don't just say 'Hey' like everything is normal" Annabeth said closing the book she had been reading and turning to see Percy. Her anger faltered a little upon seeing his coy smile "I've been waiting here for around an hour seaweed brain"

"Chiron landed me with a new camper, asked me to show her the ropes and what not…am I forgiven?"

She couldn't be angry at Percy for simply doing his job. It was part of his responsibilities as a Head counsellor to help take care of newcomers. She would have been angry at him had he done anything else. A warm smile spread over her lips and Percy, knowing he was forgiven, placed an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

Since camp season had begun, new kids had been flocking inside and new kids were constantly being claimed thanks to the new rules that had been set before the Olympians, forcing them all to claim their children by their thirteenth year. It was a much fairer system but it meant both Percy and Annabeth, along with the other counsellors, were worked off their feet.

Annabeth sighs exhaustedly as she cuddles in to Percy after almost a full day of helping the new campers. Percy smiles and rests he head on hers, smelling the sweet scent of her hair; she smelt like fresh roses in the dawn of summer, just as the sun rises in the sky. Annabeth loved to sit by the lake when she was reading or even just to watch the ripples of the waves; it reminded her of Percy, making her feel calm when she was stressed, plus, it was Percy's favourite place so she was more likely to see him.

They both walked to the edge of the lake and Percy dips his feet in. He gestures for Annabeth to do the same, "I'm wearing jeans, Percy" she rolls her eyes. "Don't worry" he smirks with his half smile. Annabeth slowly dips her feet in to the water only for them to feel completely dry; Percy had created a bubble so she didn't get wet. She smiles at him "show off, seaweed brain" she smirks as she leans in to him and kisses him gently on the lips.

Percy was about to lean in and kiss her again when he noticed what was happening on the pier. Lucy and Tommy had somehow managed to get into a full blown brawl with one another. Tommy was trying his best to throw punches which Lucy managed to avoid using shadow travel, which was cheating in Percy's opinion.

Tommy threw a right hook, missed, only for Lucy to appear behind him and playfully karate chopping him in the shoulder blade. He turned around and attempted to punch her again. Lucy entered a shadow just as Tommy felt his fist connect with something warm. However, his feeling of triumph was quickly replaced by fear when the shadow vanished with no sign of Lucy but instead a slumped Elizabeth who was falling off the edge of the pier.

He had knocked the new girl out on her first day!

He scrambled quickly to save her but just wasn't quick enough. Her unconscious body slipped under the lakes surface and began to sink. Tommy was panicking but luckily Percy wasn't. He had already flung himself into the lake and was swimming down to retrieve the girl. However the sight that he saw stopped him in his tracks.

Elizabeth lay at the bottom of the lake, her legs pulled up to her chest and her arms locked tightly around them. That wasn't what was strange though. What was strange was that she was bone dry and was sitting in a bubble that created a dome over her head. She looked up when she heard Percy moving through the water

"Is this normal?" she asked, noticing the dumbstruck expression on Percy's face.


	2. Spontaneous Fish Tank Combustion

**AN: A very big thank you to bookwormultimate who was our very first follower and an another massive thank you to .1 and Marvel Towers. Your support is greatly appreciated :D On with the story!**

* * *

It was time. Excited crowds were gathering around the amphitheatre eagerly awaiting the battle. How did it start? Well that was an interesting question. Sibling rivalry is a common thing, not simply in half-bloods but everywhere. You'll find sister bears fighting over possible mates and young lions battling their elder siblings for dominance. This was pretty much what was happening here.

Hermes' cabin were leading betting stations whilst many of the Athena looked at them with disgust, gambling was a fools game. Demeter's cabin were offering campers fresh snacks; ripe strawberries, sweet pomegranates and juicy green apples.

"You can always back out now?" Percy grinned down at Ellie cockily as he fixed his armour "I wouldn't think any less of you"

Ellie was no longer the little girl that had turned up to camp those many years ago. She was seventeen and had learnt a lot in her years at camp; her family history, how to use a weapon properly, her abilities and to never under any circumstances leave Lucy alone with an axe.

"Ha!" Ellie laughed "You would love that wouldn't you, brother" she narrowed her eyes at him but still had an evil grin on her face. She had chosen to use Harpe, the sword Perseus used to kill medusa over 2000 years ago.

Percy started off lightly with just a few quick jabs that Ellie easily blocked, "What's the matter? Scared of getting beaten by a girl?" she grinned. Percy simply gave her the same cocky smile she always used when they challenged each other (something they must have inherited) without a warning he jolted towards her, shocking Ellie but she was quick on her feet. She quickly jumped to the side and made a quick swing but Percy was anticipating the attack and blocked her easily. He kept attacking her with swift attacks but they were both evenly matched. Ellie countered his attacks but it was clear she was getting tired.

"Getting tired, Shorty?" came Percy's mocking tone from across the battle ground

"Not doing too well yourself there dumbass" she tried to hide how tired she was getting. Percy however saw this and decided to teach his baby sister a lesson, he went full swing, hitting her left, right, and centre, she tried to fend him off but he was too quick. Ellie fell to the floor in front of her friend, trying to catch her breath, a very smug Percy walked over to her. "Had enough?" he said smugly.

Just as Lucy was about to shout a comment at him something strange happened, water started to flow in to the amphitheatre and make a circle round the two siblings till they were both standing (and lying) in the water. The minor bruises that Ellie had managed to inflict on Percy started to heal but Percy's smug smile soon fell from his face. Before he knew it, Ellie had spun round and had managed to lift herself up to kick Percy straight in the jaw.

She jumped up at the opportunity, her new found smile not leaving her face. She swung for Percy whilst he was on the floor but he had rolled over and stood back on his feet. It was Ellie's turn for revenge. She swung, full force at Percy who stumbled backwards from the force; he forgot she was left-handed. Both of them battled it out for a long time but Ellie still had the upper hand, the water surrounding their feet kept them both strong but Ellie was a little more quick thinking than Percy. Before long she had managed to disarm him and before he had chance to grab his sword, Ellie kicked him in the stomach, sending him falling out of the circle and rolling across the floor. The battle was over and the water was gone.

Ellie walked over to her brother, and held her hand out for him. "Not too bad for a dumbass" she smirked. Percy took her hand and pulled himself up, "If it wasn't for the water I would have beat you ages ago, Shorty" he huffed.

"The water helps you too 'Son of Poseidon'" she mocked as she walked over to her friends. Lucy was walking back from the Hermes stand counting a handful of drachmas whilst Tommy just stared at her in amazement. Though he wasn't the only one, not many had thought she could beat her brother.

Percy just narrowed his eyes at her and walked over to Annabeth who seemed to be resisting the urge to giggle "I'd meant for her to win, you know, brotherly love" he watched on as Ellie attempted to high five Lucy only to miss "Oh come on, she has no hand-eye coordination! How did she beat me?"

"I thought you let her win?" Annabeth was grinning slightly, Percy wasn't hurt at all. His ego might be a little hurt but that would get better in time. It had been the water that had helped her win, Percy knew that much. The two of them had sparred before and Percy had never lost. But where had the water came from? Both the lake and the beach were too far away for her to have drawn it all the way to the amphitheatre, even Percy wasn't that powerful

He was still trying to work this out as he left the amphitheatre when he passed something rather suspicious looking. He walked over to the scene to inspect what was going on. Before him stood Lucy and Tommy. She dressed in her usually odd fashion sense, a fifties cut red dress, studded leather jacket and a pair of white Doc Martin boots. Her hair was dyed a vibrant shade of pink and tied into several braids with white feathers woven into them. She didn't exactly blend into crowds. Surrounding the pair was a lot of broken glass.

"What the Hades happened?" Percy asked, staring incredulously down at the glass below him. Strangely this was not the strangest thing he had walked in on over the last four years, his little sister had a strange choice in friends.

"Lucy paid Travis twenty drachmas to get her a giant fish tank for the battle" Tommy said crossing his arms and giving Lucy a sideward look "So…Ellie sort of cheated"

"Does the word 'secret' mean nothing to you?" Lucy spat at Tommy before turning to deal with Percy "She didn't cheat, I did…there's a world of difference. She had no idea that I was doing this so if you want to throw a hissy fit at someone, I'm your girl"

Percy was stunned, the young daughter of Hades was known for her strange plans but this…this was beyond what she was usually capable of "Why? I mean I get it, you wanted her to win but why go through this much effort?"

"Of course you wouldn't understand you've always been top dog around here" Lucy said inching a little closer "But it's not easy for her! She's constantly compared to you and for once she just wanted to prove she was just as good, I didn't want her going another summer being nothing more than the little sister of wonder boy"

Percy had never thought of that. But now that he did he had to admit it didn't sound easy. The poor girl probably felt like she had massive boots to fill and Percy didn't even think he was that great anyway. He hadn't been the only one to fight in the Second Titan War, many demigods had fought bravely…many had lost their lives fighting. Percy did not deserve the amount of fame he got from the battle, not in his opinion anyway "Clean this up before someone cuts themselves"

"Where are you going?" Lucy shouted after him, she had hoped he might have helped clean up but apparently not

"To find my sister!" He shouted over his shoulder as he broke into a sprint and headed towards his home cabin, he was sure he would find her there.

Unknown to Percy, Ellie was sitting by a tree right next to where the others were talking. After hearing what her friends had done for her she felt happy that they would do that for her but the sadness took over. She ran in the opposite direction, trying hard not to cry. She didn't realise that she had ran towards the lake; made sense, it's where she always went when she need time alone or to just cry for a bit. She was the kind to act like nothing fazed her but really she would feel weaker every time she lost or was teased. She had never told anyone that a lot of the time when she was apparently 'relaxing in the water', she was actually hiding.

* * *

It had been around ten minutes before Ellie heard footsteps from behind her. She quickly jumped in to the water and sinking to the bottom. Small fish swam around her as she looked out in to the lakes under life. She closed her eyes and let her others senses take over so she could try and forget about being the sister to a hero and couldn't even win a fight without help.

Percy stood at the end of the pier looking down in the water below. When he hadn't found her in the cabin he hadn't been sure where to look. If he had just won a victory then he would have probably wanted to celebrate, so he checked the mess hall and Long Island Sound but she was nowhere to be seen.

He had a hunch and decided to go with it, he had checked everywhere else after all. He walked along to the edge of the pier and looked down at the lake below. The water was dark in the evening light and he couldn't see the bottom very clearly but he could just make out a shadow. Could it be Ellie?

He dived in the water and as he neared the dark shape at the bottom he could see the halo of dark red hair surrounding her face with little Neon Tetra's weaving in-between. He sat opposite her, unsure of what to say exactly "Hey"

Ellie looked up at the sound of his entering the water. Truth be told, she was a little startled to see him. Thankfully the water hid her tears but her sea green eyes were still glossy and a little red from crying, something Percy noticed.

"What are you doing here? I thought you would be off with Annabeth by now" she hid her face away and watched the small fish that had been weaving through her hair, weave through her fingers.

"I wanted to congratulate you" he said, managing a grim smile. He leant back and balanced on his fore arms, his orange camp T-shirt floating in the waters currents slightly. He had spent a great deal of his time at the lake, often with Annabeth or Grover, though he can't say he's spent much time there with Ellie. "I'm proud of you kid"

She chuckled a little; she always loved having a brother there even if she was in his shadow. "You're the one who won"

"How did you work that one out?" He cocked his head to the left slightly and his eyebrows furrowed. He wasn't sure but he was suspicious that she may know what Lucy had done with the tank.

"I can't do anything without water" she sighed and fidgeted with the hem of her t-shirt. The little fish swam away from the sudden movement "I'd be dead if I ever went on a quest half as hard as yours"

"No you wouldn't, for starters Lucy would probably drag you back from the underworld herself if you even thought of dying on her" he joked before moving closer and placing a hand on her shoulder "And you can take care of yourself pretty damn well, you fight better than most your age…I have faith in you"

The lake was momentarily filled with the sound of Ellie's giggles. Percy smiled for a second, feeling like he might be getting somewhere. After a moment her laughter subsided and her face fell once more. "I know about what she did for me" She sighed before meeting her brothers eyes "She cheated so I would win for once"

Percy stared into the sand, hoping the right words would materialize. It was times like this he wished his dad was around or his mum, his mum would know exactly what to say. He still hadn't quite got used to this big brother thing, he had Tyson but that was different. Tyson was a guy and had a lot less…emotions. "It doesn't change anything"

She scoffed and turned away from him, curling her knees up to her chest "It changes everything Percy. What good am I without water! Face it Percy I'm useless, I was a mistake that wasn't supposed to happen"

It was something every demigod, and arguably every teenager, had felt at one point or another. The feeling that they were completely worthless or that they didn't fit in. Percy had felt it himself, not long after his first quest. He had begun to doubt himself when he returned to camp, when Clarisse had been better than him in everything.

"You were not a mistake" he assured her, having difficulty finding the words to explain him "I mean you're…your amazing, you belong here"

"Did you just compliment me?" She turned to look at him but decided against it, instead she focused her attention on the tiny fish swimming around her. Their scales shimmered red and neon blue when the light hit them. There wasn't much light at the bottom of the lake, the sun was sinking quickly and the surface of the lake glowed orange above them.

"I guess I just did" he smirked looking over towards her. The two sat in silence for a moment, Percy unsure of what to say to break it. He thought perhaps he should say something deep and meaningful. Possibly quote someone from a long time ago who was a lot wiser than he was. Instead all he managed to say was "Do you want to get something to eat?"

"I will just grab something and go back to the house" she managed to force a smile as she turned towards her brother. Their resemblance wasn't extraordinary. Unlike the Hermes cabin where many shared the same sharp noses or the Athena cabin with their inherited honey blonde hair, Percy had his sister looked very little alike. He hadn't seen Gwen much, but on the few instances that he had he was able to see just how much Ellie looked like her mother.

Ellie's hair might have been dark like Percy's but it was red not black. She was short and thin with a fragile look about her that deceptively made her appear an easy target. The only thing the two demigods really shared were their eyes; their fathers eyes. A dark green similar to that of seaweed.

"Come on then" he said standing up "I'll race you to the surface"

She chuckled as she kicked off from the lake bed up to the surface "Later dumbass"

As much as they bickered, Ellie really loved Percy's company, he was easy to talk to just like Lucy, and Tommy…well, sort of. She was okay around Tommy when there were others around or when it was just the three of them. But then she would find herself in these moments with him and she wouldn't be able to keep herself from blushing…she wasn't quite sure why.


	3. A fish that blows bubbles

A fish that blows bubbles

"Goodnight seaweed brain" Annabeth said as she leant over and kissed him on the cheek before sneaking back inside the Athena cabin. For once, luck had been in Percy's favour and his date had gone perfectly fine. No camp emergencies, no monster attacks and not a single Ellie crisis. Percy was just walking back over toward his cabin a smug grin painted across his features when a chair came soaring through one of the front windows.

"What the..." Percy closed his hand around the door handle and the moment he pulled it open it he hit a wall of sound. He wasn't sure exactly what the music was but it was loud and was in the middle of what was admittedly an epic drum solo. He might have been able to enjoy it if his cabin wasn't in the midst of being completely destroyed. It seemed like all of the Hermes, Aphrodite and Apollo kids had all been packed into the tight space and were acting like...well like teenagers.

"Who threw the chair?!" Ellie ran towards the door, trying to crowd dodge the partying demigods and a few satyrs to get the chair from outside. Unfortunately she wasn't looking where she was going and ran straight in too Percy, knocking them both over. "Oh...hi Percy"

"Hi" Percy was still locked in a state of disbelief "What exactly going on?"

He managed to push himself up onto his elbows in time to see one of the Hermes kids dropped a pellet onto the floor which exploded into a green fog. The poor demigods in the vicinity of the stink bomb gagged and moved away from the vile fumes.

Ellie's eyes widened, oh dear, she thought. She sat up in front of Percy, "I only invited two people I swear!" she panicked. "Which two people?" He looked through the crowd of people trying to figure out who started this. "Tommy..." she said sheepishly. Percy narrowed his eyes at her.

"Hmm" he mumbled. "Who else?"

She sighed; he was going to figure it out eventually "Lucy..."

Percy should have guessed as much "Well that explains a lot"

"I don't know how it got like this!" Ellie gestured towards the party "Lucy invited some of the Apollo kids and wherever Apollo is, Hermes usually follows. And you know Hermes is the God of Messages so of course word spread to Aphrodite who are massive gossips so before I knew what was happening the Hecate kids had sound proofed the place and...well you can see what happened"

Percy overlooked the scene when he spotted something a little out of the ordinary "Is Tommy hiding under your bed?"

Ellie's cheeks went bright red, "it's not what it looks like... he was trying to get away from the noise and play his game.." she didn't make eye contact with Percy. He didn't notice however, luckily for Ellie he never seemed to notice. Not the way she blushed when she was around him or how she would suddenly go shy when he was brought up in a conversation.

"That's it, I'm putting a stop to this" Percy said getting up and cutting through the crowd before finding the source of the noise. He pressed his finger on the button and the sudden silence left ringing in his ears. Someone in the crowd, Lucy most likely, shouted _Buzz Kill _as the rest of the demigods turned to see who had turned the music off "Right! Everyone out!"

Ellie tried to sneak round the side of the house as everyone walked out in a huff, she could hear some of them mumbling "Kill Joy" and "Party Pooper" under their breaths. The last thing she wanted was to face angry Percy so she carried on creeping round the house. Percy stood with his arms crossed as the room emptied leaving only Percy and Lucy, who stood with her arms crossed over her chest and glared at Percy. "What?" he asked her, not too happy with being glared at

"You stopped my party!" she said moving forward, her hair was still pink though the colour had faded slightly, tied back under a black bandanna. She wore a long white dress with golden bangles on each of her arms "You know how hard it is to sound proof a cabin?"

Percy stared at her in disbelief "You're paying for my window"

He examined his cabin more, inspecting the damage. Shattered glass lay on the floor, one of the bunk beds had been destroyed and a hellhound piñata was hung from the ceiling and spinning around. No sign of Ellie. She was good at this, always managing to sneak off just when she needed to. He shouted her name "Ellie!"

"Not good" she makes a run for it past the back door but it was too late. Percy grabbed her hand and dragged her in to the house. "What do you have to say for yourself?" he frowned.

"It was her fault!" Ellie shouted "If she hadn't told the Hermes cabin that I was having a 'party' when I told her it was just a get together!" she huffed.

"Hey!" Lucy popped up from the top of one of the bunk beds, apparently under the illusion that this had become a sleepover "You were the one supplying the music! I suggested Rolling Stones but no, you had to play Fall Out Boy! What did you expect when you put that on, afternoon tea?"

"We always listen to fall out boy! When do we not listen to it!" she frowned. Ellie looked around at the absolute mess the cabin was in. "I guess I'm going to have to clean all this up then, just like always" she kicked a coke can, sending it narrowly past Percy's face, before she picked up a bin bag.

"I've just remembered I have to be getting back..." Lucy said sliding from the bunk she had claimed "Nico said he might be visiting tomorrow...so I'm probably best getting an early night"

"It was so much easier when he was the only Hades kid around" Percy muttered more to himself than to anyone else. The night had been rather...interesting to say the least. The cabin needed a clean but he was far too tired to be thinking about that now "Leave the cleaning for now, we'll sort that tomorrow"

"No, no, I will sort it. Gods know what kind of things there are laying round here after the Hermes cabin" She had managed to clean all of the cans and wrappers from the fountain but someone (probably from the Hermes or Apollo cabins) had put washing up liquid in to the filter so the fish was blowing bubbles. Already guessing Percy's reaction to the soapy fountain she hurriedly added "I'll fix it...not sure how, but I will fix it"

Percy just shook his head and jumped into his bed. He wriggled slightly trying to get comfortable but found something hard was under his pillow. He dug his hand under and pulled out a hair brush, he wasn't sure if it was his sisters or one of her 'guests'. Either way it managed to tip his mood just a little bit further. He had never asked for this.

Ellie sighed and threw the bag in the bin. The cabin was still covered in rubbish but she had given up. She was in one of them moods where she just wanted to cry. _All I ever seem to do is disappoint him and make his life harder_ she thought to herself. She sat on the edge of the fountain, putting her hand in and playing with the bubbles. Ellie sat like this for what seemed like hours until she realised she could see the sun start to rise, when she decided to start a little more cleaning as quiet as she could.

Most days at camp were beautiful but this particular morning seemed more perfect that usually. The sky was a powder blue with soft, puffy clouds with golden linings. The sea outside the Poseidon Cabin was calm, the water smoother than a knifes edge. Waking up to see that, Percy almost forgot about everything that had happened the previous night.

He rubbed his eyes; a little scared of what he would see when he woke up. However, to his surprise the cabin was not a mess. It was completely clean, save for a few bubbles in the fountain. He looked over to the bed where his sister usually slept, surprised to find her bed empty. Her backpack was gone and her bed was made so he assumed she had left for breakfast early. It wasn't uncommon. Ellie had an ungodly ability of waking early, if the sun was up so was she.

He crawled out his bed still surprised by just how clean she had managed to get it. He would have been there for weeks trying to sort that mess out. He quickly pulled on a t-shirt and some jeans and went to leave for breakfast. That was before he heard light snoring coming from beneath Ellie's bed. When he peered under it he saw Tommy fast asleep with one of his headphones hanging out of his ear and his gaming device flashing the words LOW BATTERY across the screen. _Guess no one told him the party was over. _Feeling it best to let the boy sleep. Most of the camp had already finished by now and was busy with their respective activities. Percy grabbed himself some toast and searched the crowds for either Annabeth or Ellie. Upon finding neither, he resigned to his usually speck at Cabin Three's table.

He was about to eat when he felt the bench dip slightly. He turned slowly, his toast halfway to his mouth. To his left sat Lucy only she had undergone another drastic makeover. Her hair had been re-dyed, this time a shade of red which suspiciously resembled blood. She looked like she had just walked out of a story book with a dress very similar to that of Alice in Wonderlands, with black and white striped stockings and black converse sneakers.

"So did you kill her?" Lucy asked very casually as if murder was a perfectly normal topic to discuss over breakfast "Or did she just vanish from the face of the world?"

"What are you on about?" Percy asked finally biting into toast "She's been gone all morning, you know what Ellie's like, and sleeping is for the weak"

"See that's the thing" Lucy said, taking away Percy's toast and taking a bite out of it herself "She isn't anywhere. She isn't in the amphitheatre, the lake, the sea...I checked with both Aphrodite and Hermes cabins and they've heard nothing...Percy, she's gone"


	4. Whimpering Waters

**AN/ Sorry for the long wait but the real world has been keeping us very busy, a lot of college work and social events to keep us distracted. However we are working hard to amend this and hopefully more chapters should be soon. Thank's to all the followers who stuck with us through the dry patch, now on with the show!**

* * *

The sun glistened through the tree like a perfect summer morning; the bird's song floated through the air like the music notes were riding the soft breeze. There was a sweet smell of lavender and all different types of wild herbs that you would find in a forest. In the distance was the soft trickle of the lake that ran through the east side of the forest.

Ellie could feel the heat of the sun on her black doc martin boots, not the best choice for a trip half way across the world but they were good for walking, she thought to herself. She was wearing a blue t-shirt with little characters from TV shows and her denim shorts; rather than her orange camp half-blood t-shirt that she had left under her pillow.

"It is a long way back to England from here" she sighed to herself, "All you have is, 50 dollars, 20 pound and a couple of drachma; I don't know why I brought that" she shrugged as she sat down with her back against a tree, facing the lake. It wasn't uncommon for Ellie to talk to herself when no one was around, even if there was someone around she would talk to herself most of the time.

"It's not too late to turn back you know. Maybe explain that you want to go home and they will get you a ticket straight home" she thought but as soon as she thought about camp all she could think was the disappointment in Percy's eyes when he came home last night, how she made Percy's life harder every day.

Part of her mind thought of the good times like when they would make waves in the water. Or the time she and Lucy piled most of the camps weaponry in to a jenga tower; just the memory made her laugh. Also the time she fell in the lake when her and Tommy were having a race; Tommy jumped in after her, forgetting she wasn't affected by the water, they both laughed about it for an hour. Ellie couldn't help but smile at the thought of her friends.

There was still a part of her; a stronger part which brought back the bad things. The look Percy gave her when she was claimed like he didn't want to have her as a sister. She had argued with everyone she had loved; who she would never see again.

Her tears dripped on to the ground, it looked like they were almost being absorbed by the dirt. The wind whispered across the water making a sound almost like a whimper.

* * *

It was strange, the camp was perfectly serene. The grass seemed greener, the strawberries looked juicier and everyone was milling about as usual. The sky above was almost cloudless with only a few white streaks breaking the endless blue. Yet inside Percy a storm raged. Panic was setting in as his pulse pounded against the interior of his ear drums.

Despite Lucy saying that she had checked everything already, he was frantically checking the camp himself. He searched the lake and spent almost an entire hour scouring as much of the sea as he could before finally giving in to the sinking feeling that she was gone.

"How can you be so calm?" Percy was pacing back and forth trying to work out where Ellie would go in a situation like this "Your best friend is missing and you're acting like you don't care!"

"I care" Lucy glared up at him as if he had crossed some kind of line, her thick southern accent dripping with venom "But losing my head won't bring her back will it? For once I'm trying to be sensible about something"

For once Lucy made complete sense, which was saying something. Her logic was usually something that even bewildered her. She would jump to conclusions without thinking things through or would have conversations and only vocalize part of it. Being around her could be very confusing at times, and it didn't help that allowed her emotions to have so much control over her at times. She was quick to anger or excitement. Yet…Percy wasn't sure if he had ever seen her cry.

Despite his worry, he managed a small smile when he saw Annabeth running over towards them. Her long blond curls were tied back in a ponytail, a denim jacket pulled over her camp T-shirt and a pair of denim shorts. A backpack was pulled onto one of her shoulders "I'm ready" she said as Percy pulled her into a hug.

"Who said you were coming?" Percy heard Lucy ask, assuming he was asking Annabeth. However when he pulled away from Annabeth, he saw that she was in fact speaking to Tommy. Tommy looked like he had been awake for five minutes wearing the same clothes that he had been wearing the night before, his spectacles slightly lopsided and his hair sticking out at odd angles "We might die"

"Ever optimist eh?" Tommy teased Lucy before sitting beside her on the patch of ground Lucy had placed herself upon "Besides, she's my friend too"

"Where exactly would she go?" Annabeth asked, aiming the question to Percy. But Percy was coming up a blank. She had said that she always wanted to see Rome and the ruins of Pompeii but couldn't see her running away to their especially since finding out a very active dragon still lived in the Pompeii vicinity. She had never been to Olympus either, another dream he knew she had had. Would she go there?

"Home" it was Lucy who answered in the end causing everyone to look at her surprised. Two reasonable answers in one day? It must surely be a blue moon "She's a year rounder. She's been on short visits back home but she hasn't been back there properly for over four years now…of course she'd go there"

"But she's from England" Percy said looking at Lucy like she was mad. England was thousands of miles away and Ellie had no money. Not only that but she had next to no real life experience when it comes to fighting and avoiding death. She was a walking trouble magnet out there alone "Surely she wouldn't try to go there"

"If you think she wouldn't" Lucy said standing up and pulling her own backpack up onto her shoulder "Then you really don't know your sister that well"

* * *

Ellie's heart nearly stopped when she heard footsteps behind her. She slowly reached over and grabbed the handle of Harpe.

Around her there was no sign of anyone...or anything at that rate. There was a slight rustling of foliage over her head and the sound a stick snapping behind her but other than that, nothing. It was as if she was being stalked by ghosts.

She pulled the sword out as she backed up towards the water. Her eyes darting around trying to see what was making the noise; her heart beating so loud she could almost hear it.

There were more rustling above her, a slight giggling coming from behind her. Then silence...before something pulled her backwards by her backpack sending her falling into the water.

Ellie screamed as she fell backwards before hitting the water. She jumped up, still standing in the water "who's there?! Stop being a coward and stop hiding" she shouted, her hands shaking; sure that if someone did attack her, Harpe would fall out of her hand because she was shaking so much.

"I'm not the one running away" a cheeky voice shouted back at her, it seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a small dwarfs like man with greenish-brown skin pulled taut like leather and long bat like ears. Atop its head was a Mohawk of fiery red hair and its gold eyes had a mischievous twinkle. It hung from a branch, a mere centimeters from her face "Hello"

Ellie fell backwards from shock but managed to swing her sword as she fell. Now sitting in the water; completely dry still, she looked up at the strange creature in front of her. "Stay away from me" she warned, pointing the sword towards him.

"Ooh scary" it giggled before jumping from it branch and land at the edge of the water "But I know you demigod's, you wouldn't hurt an innocent"

"You're not giving me many reasons to make me think your innocent" she narrowed her eyes "wait, what did you call me?"

"I called you a demigod" he said grinning, a cheeky glint in his eye. He wore an old, dirt shirt with torn sleeves and a pair of green trousers with torn edges. He had been around for a very long time and by the looks of it, it had been a very long time since he had changed his clothes "And I'll have you know I'm just as innocent as the Lord Hermes"

Ellie laughed "so not to innocent then" she still had Harpe pointed at him. "What makes you think I'm a demigod?" she questioned, despite the fact she was holding a demigods sword.

The little man was inspecting her closely. She had a backpack, reasonably full by the looks of it. He couldn't see any jewellery but that didn't mean there wasn't any. Her clothing didn't look like it was made of fine fabrics so he didn't pay too great attention to that. There was a good chance that she was carrying something of value...but then again, there was a good chance she wasn't. He crinkled his nose, slightly disappointed "You smell"

"And you smell like roses" she scowled as she stood up, putting harpe away. "What do you want from me I'm a bit busy" she examined the strange creature, he reminded her a little of Dodger from Oliver twist which made her clutch her backpack protectively.

"You demigod's always have been rude" the strange little man muttered to himself, remembering when he had had the displeasure to meet Heracles so many years ago. To be fair to the demigod, he had stolen from Heracles so he did sort of deserve being captured...but never mind that now. That was a long time ago "What makes you think I want anything?"

"They way your dress, sort of homeless with the rips and scuffs probably from swinging through the trees, the way you were looking at me; looking for something valuable. Also the way you sneak through the trees so no one can tell your there; the traits of a theft if I ever saw one." She narrowed her eyes at him, quite happy with herself.

"You don't get out much do you?" he giggled slightly, falling back onto his butt "Otherwise you would have realized that is all typical behavior of a sprite"

She turns her back to him, walking away through the water just in case. "If you don't mind I'm busy so goodbye" her hands still gripping the backpack, making sure he can't grab anything.

The little man watched her leave and a knowing grin appeared across his features. She didn't know who he was, which could work greatly in his favor. He ran ahead of her "Perhaps I didn't introduce myself properly, I am a Kobalos...at your service" "Why would I need your service?" she questioned. Ellie carried on walking but her pace slowed in curiosity.

The Kobalos gasped, mocking hurt "I must say I'm a little offended that you don't know who I am" he said as he placed a hand over his heart "But I have come to expect as much with these modern demigods. For your information I have guided many a hero on their quests and journeys in the last couple of millenniums" Ellie's pace sped up again. "I'm not on a quest so I don't need your guidance thank you, now if you don't mind I'd like to get back to what I was doing before you rudely interrupted me"

"Very well" he said jumping up and reaching a low branch, pausing momentarily before pulling himself up to sit on the branch edge "You just keep going around in circles" Ellie stopped and turned round to face him, "I know where I'm going thank you very much!" she lied. Normally Ellie wouldn't be this confident around strangers but the water seemed to be giving her confidence as well as strength, even though it seemed impossible; maybe it's the fact that it's the only thing connecting her to her father. And Percy, she was always more confident when she was around him.

"Sure you do" he crossed his arms and placed them behind his head, using his forearms as a pillow as he watched the demigod walk away further. The Kobalos was trying desperately not let his smug feelings show "Just carry on going in the direction your heading and you'll be running into a search party of demigods...and I'm going to guess that it's you they are searching for"

Ellie froze on the spot. "How do you know that?" "My dear child I am a sprite of these woods" he said gesturing to the world around him. The leaves nearest to him seemed to glow greener than the others, creating a halo of leafy foliage around him "so naturally I know everything that goes on within it. However you have already said that you do not want my services"

"Okay trickster what do you want?" she walked back over to him. In the distance, muffled voices could be heard getting carried by the wind. Ellie was running out of time, if she didn't leave soon they would catch up to her. _Why are they looking for me? _She wondered.

He jumped from his branch, quite pleased with himself. He knew he had won, now it was just time to take his prize "There are two paths ahead of you, the path you are currently traveling on will lead you straight into the arms of your fellow demigods and, most likely, back to safety" he said before moving his arm and gesturing to her right "Or the second path which may very well lead you somewhere not quite as safe but it will get you where you want to go"

Ellie clenched her fists and started pacing, not knowing what to do. The water around her feet started getting aggressive and not just from the movement of her feet. It was like it could sense her mood, maybe it could. All Ellie wanted was to help Percy have an easier life without the burden of a little sister, but why would they come looking for her if they didn't care? She groaned not knowing what to do and stamped her foot, sending large waves of water in every direction.

"I'd make a decision quickly little Missy..." The Kobalos disappeared into the tree's upper branches almost as quickly as it had appeared.

Above the noise of the rustling tree's and the sloshing sounds creating by the churning waters a distinct voice carried over the wind "Tommy, did you even attempt to brush your teeth today?" Lucy's southern accent was unmistakable. Moments later, sounding slightly angered came Tommy's reply "I was in a rush!"

Hearing their voices made Ellie smile and feel warmer somehow but she had made up her mind a long time ago. She quickly ran out of the water and in the other direction.

Not realizing the danger she was running into...


	5. Uninvited Guest To The Party

**So first off, apologies for the long wait in updates but there are two of us and we do both lead very busy lives. It takes us twice as long as most as it's finding time when we are both available to write. We're sorry about the long wait but they are sort of unavoidable. Also, we have read this over a good couple of times but if a few grammar or spelling issues have slipped through we apologize in advance. We would love to hear more in the comments too so we know what works and what doesn't, otherwise we wont ever improve :) Thank you everyone for your support in this fan fiction and without further adieu, here is the chapter - VS**

* * *

Annabeth and Percy lead the small band of misfits through the tree's, the foliage gradually getting thinner and thinner as they got further away from camp and closer to the high way. The sound of traffic in the distance could be head up ahead. Percy wasn't paying much attention to where they were going but every time he saw a glimpse a red he would mistake it for Ellie's hair or the sound of a twig snapping would cause his neck to spin round quicker than a blink.

Annabeth placed a hand reassuringly on his shoulder, causing him to jump slightly. He was too on edge. She smiled softly "We'll find her"

Percy smiled back and although he didn't feel any less worried. Still, he was thankful Annabeth was here.

"That is it!" the shout came from behind the two, causing them to whirl around. Surprisingly it had been Tommy who had shouted. But he didn't sound like the quiet, mild mannered boy they had seen each day at camp. He sounded angry, dangerously so "You are rude and obnoxious and I am not putting up with this crap anymore!"

"Tommy-"Lucy began looking a little shell shocked

"No! I have put up with this for six years" his face was a deep shade of red and his fists were balled up so hard his knuckles had turned white "Why do you have to be so vile? You're insufferable and rude and you just don't give a damn, I…I'm out"

Tommy stormed off; he stayed within sight and sound of the others, but steered clear of Lucy. Annabeth and Percy looked between the two unsure of what had happened. The two were known to bicker and argue, and Lucy often took it too far – this was Lucy after all – but usually they managed to stick together.

They continued to move forward, though with perhaps a little more tension than previously. They followed the river, guessing that Ellie would most likely stick to water, until they came to a point where the river gathered into a lake. Percy washed his face feeling instantly refreshed. It was in the water's reflection that he noticed the pair of eyes staring down from the branch overhead.

Carefully, as to not to alert the creature, he slowly rose from his position on the ground. He tried to act as naturally as possible before quickly jerking his arm forward and grabbing the…thing. He felt his arms tighten around a bony ankle but what he pulled from the tree was not what he expected. It was a tiny man with oily, greenish-brown skin and a smell that Percy could only describe as being similar to that of the camps stables in the heat of the summer.

"What the…" was all Percy managed as the small man wriggled beneath him, desperate to get free of his grasp.

"Kobalos" Annabeth said not sounding all too pleased "This isn't good…"

"Don't listen to her!" the little man grumbled "She lies!"

"What's a Kobalos?" Percy was distracted for a moment by Annabeth but that was all the Kobalos needed. He bit Percy's hand causing him to drop the little man who scampered away into the foliage before Percy even had a hope of catching him "He got away!"

"That's the least of our worries" Annabeth said pulling out her knife "If I'm correct, he's just lead Ellie into a Sphinx den"

It was what felt like the hundredth car that drove past Ellie that made her almost give up and walk all the way. She had been on the highway for an hour, trying to hitch hike a ride to the city but no one would stop. Luckily it was only another half an hour till she came across a small B&B just off the highway,_ or was it called a motel? _Ellie sighed, America was such a different place to England, she felt like she had travelled through space to a parallel world, where the words were slightly different and acted differently, and have some of the strangest accents.

The motel looked very out of place; it was a small cottage in the middle of a motorway (highway) there wasn't any ivy or flowers climbing up the side of the cottage like in the fairytale story's you hear as a child, it was bland and sort of dry.

As Ellie walked closer she could see lights on inside that glowed like amber in a furnace. There looked to be around five rooms in total, one of which must be the owners; they must not get many customers in the middle of the highway. It looked like they didn't have any customers at all; the day was now dark almost at twilight but there was only one light on in the house, _maybe they're all asleep? _Ellie thought but the place felt empty like there were no people around apart from the ones driving past in their hesitated as she put her hand on the door handle, she had a strange feeling about this place but she had nowhere else to go and it would be pointless to carry on walking as her feet were worn out and she was so tired she might have fallen asleep where she stood.

There was a small chime of a bell as Ellie opened the door. Inside there was a small desk in the far left corner, next to a thin set of stairs that lead to the next floor. And two doors; one behind the desk, most likely the owners room and another door next to that, probably the kitchen.

Ellie could hear rustling from the owner's room which sounded faintly like cats clawing at a scratching pole.

"Hello?" Ellie called as she walked over the desk cautiously. Quicker than a flash there was a woman standing in front of her, making Ellie jump. "Hello there, how can I help you young miss?" the woman smiled.

She was a lot taller than Ellie and slightly curvier, her hair a sandy brown like she had been playing in the desert. The woman had sun kissed skin and green eyes which glowed yellow in the light. "Ermm..." Ellie stuttered.

"Sorry did I frighten you dearie, my name is Xenia" her sugar coated voice dripping with patronization "I run this little establishment, would you like a room for the night? You must be tired"

As the woman spoke she suddenly felt the weight of the day hit her. The aches became new again, her eye lids became heavy and she had to fight back a yawn. There was a faint smell of warm milk lingering in the air. "Let me show you your room"

Before Ellie could say anything, Xenia was leading her up the stairs. The corridor was only small; if Ellie had put her arms out she would be touching the cream wallpaper. "This will be your room" the mysterious woman opened the door to a small, generic bedroom with a single bed, and a dresser. "I don't have much money, how much does it cost to stay his night?" Ellie asked worried, she had never expected money to be a problem.

"Oh don't worry miss" Xenia smiles; Ellie could have sworn she saw a slight glimmer of evil in her smile. "Just answer me this, _'Which creature in the morning goes on four legs, at midday on two, and in the evening upon three, and the more legs it has, the weaker it be?'"_

Ellie was too exhausted to think "an insect?" She stuttered. Xenias face dropped slightly "Not quite young miss, I will be downstairs in my room if you need me but make sure you always knock, never come in uninvited"

Just like that she was gone and Ellie was left alone in the room. She didn't even notice as she fell into unconsciousness.

"I'm not buying it" Lucy said shaking her head slightly as she stared at the shabby motel that stood before them "Isn't the Sphinx meant to be like fifty foot tall or something? How is a cat of that size meant to fit in _there_?"

Percy had to admit he was a little confused, when he encountered the Sphinx she was a great deal to tall to fit comfortably within this building, there would have to at least be a paw hanging from a window or an ear poking through the roof.

"That's _the _Sphinx" Annabeth explained removing her knife from her pocket "Over the millennia she has sired many daughters, despite being smaller in size they can be a lot more troublesome. Their faster and more cunning than their mother. They're solitary creatures so there shouldn't be more than one, two at most, but still...they aren't the easiest creatures to take"

"And Ellie's sitting inside there with one?" Percy drew his sword and motioned for the others to follow his lead "Come on"

Ellie woke with a start, how long had she been asleep; minutes, hours, days? She still had her backpack on her back from when she fell asleep. Her eyes darted around the room frantically but she was the only one in the room, yet there was a loud thumping sound coming from the stairs. Instinctively, Ellie grabbed for her sword. There were two exits from the room; the door and the window, a second story window. '_It can't be that high can it?' _she thought as the sound outside turned from a thump to a scratch across the wall. Maybe the owner was just carrying something heavy up the stairs? But when was Ellie ever that lucky.

Suddenly the noises stopped right outside her door. Before she could think, the door slammed open so hard it could have gone through the wall. Ellie was faced by Xenia, but it wasn't exactly her. Her face was just the same but her body was now five times larger and covered with sandy golden fur, with 4 paws where her hands and feet should have been. "A sphinx!" Ellie gasped.

"Well now young miss, if you won't pass you will fail. And since I can't let any unworthy half-blood's roam around the streets, you must be EATEN!" Xenia pounced like a cat towards Ellie, who just managed to roll out the way, making the sphinx land flat on the bed, smashing it to the floor. Xenias large tail blocked the way out the door so Ellie only had one choice, the window. Heights weren't exactly Ellie's best friend, and there was no water to jump in to. The sky was black, with only the street lights of the highway lighting up the surroundings. Ellie took a deep breath and jumped out the window which was luckily already open. As her feet touched the ground, she fell into a roll across the floor so she didn't end up breaking her legs. Loud smashes and snapping wood sounds came from the room above her. She didn't want to see what happens next so Ellie made a run for it towards the street.

Percy, Annabeth, Lucy and Tommy had managed to creep in around the back of the cottage using their best efforts to avoid windows or any chances of being spotted. Whilst some of the windows were traditional paned glass with thick curtains in greens or blue's or yellows, some had stained glass designs of small white kittens chasing butterflies or large ginger toms lying in front of a glowing fire.

Whilst Percy worked at picking the lock, Lucy turned to face Tommy. He was still avoiding her gaze and despite standing right beside her he made a pretty good job of making her appear invisible.

"Tommy…I'm sorry" she struggled to find words, she really hadn't meant to upset the guy but she still wasn't sure entirely what she had done wrong. She had always been the way that she was and a lot of people didn't like that, but Tommy had never mentioned anything before. She had always assumed he didn't mind "If I can-"

Her words were interrupted when a slight 'snik' sound came from the lock. Percy had managed to break the hair pin that Annabeth had passed him. Tommy moved forward and a hairpin from his pocket and in the space of seconds had the door unlocked. Whilst everyone stared at him admittedly surprised he simply shrugged his shoulders slightly "Son of Hermes"

Tommy lead the way into the cottage in time to hear the thundering steps as the sphinx pounced down the stairs and ran through the front door across the hall, ripping it from its hinges as it did so.

A loud, ear piercing scream could be heard from outside, splitting the evening air and spilling terror into the young demigods waiting at the backdoor. "Ellie" it wasn't clear whether it was Percy or Tommy who spoke her name first nor did it matter, for seconds later all four of the unlikely group of misfits ran after the sound of the scream and the path of the sphinx.

The sphinx had jumped over Ellie blocking her path to the street. Ellie swung her sword with no luck; the sphinx was too quick for her. She had to retreat and before Ellie knew it she was running down a highway trying her best to avoid being clipped by car side mirrors and the frantic claws of the Sphinx. Each direction she turned the Sphinx followed before the giant cat woman had managed to back her into a corner with a thirty foot drop leering behind her.

The sphinx raised one of its heavy paws, it long black claws gleaming slightly in the setting sun. Ellie's heart raced and she closed her eyes ready to be cat food. The cat had caught its mouse and was preparing to make the fatal strike. Just as it did however, a short black blade cut across the paw. The blade was made from obsidian with silver and sapphire encrusted handle. There was only one person Ellie knew to possess blades like that.

Ellie's eyes flashed open as she heard the whimpering cry of the injured sphinx. She looked around to see Lucy standing there armed with her remaining three blades in her left hand. She threw a second blade completely missing the giant cat's ears and a third slicing off the edge of its whiskers. However, Lucy had served her purpose and the Sphinx was making its way toward Lucy, ignoring Ellie for the greater threat.

"Nice Kitty" Lucy whispered, out of blades as she reached for her mace, she hoped that the others would hurry up. Lucy had plans for her future but none involving becoming kitty litter.

"Hey!" Ellie shouts, trying to get the sphinx's attention away from Lucy. She couldn't help but feel relieved to see Lucy even if their lives were in danger. The sphinx spun round to face Ellie, its tail knocking Lucy back.

The sphinx turned around sharply, a low guttural sound emerging from its bared jaws. Suddenly its eyes went wide and the great cat twisted to show a small but deep cut in its side. Suddenly visible again, Annabeth moved back, knife ready in one hand whilst the other held her cap. Ellie didn't know what to do; she had to get the sphinx away from her friends but how?

Percy and Tommy were both coming from behind the sphinx swords raised and ready to fight. Simultaneously, Percy flanked left and took a large slash towards the sphinx's stomach whilst Tommy flanked right throwing the hilt of the sword against the sphinx's foot.

They were too close. The risk of one of her friends getting hurt – or worse – was getting too much for Ellie. She had a plan, not a very well thought out plan but it was better than no plan at all. She simply had to draw it away from her friends. She ran forward right at the Sphinx and managed to swipe off one of its whiskers. Well that caught his attention. The sphinx charged after Ellie as she ran towards the road.

Lucy lay unconscious in the centre of the road where she had been knocked by the Sphinx's tail. Her arms where sprawled at irregular angles. A small cut was visible from the side of her head and her ankle looked slightly swelled up. However, this was not the problem. The problem was that she was lying in the path of the Sphinx. Annabeth ran forward and managed to move Lucy's unconscious form out of the way of the Sphinx.

When Ellie saw the truck, she saw her opportunity. If she was fast enough the truck would block the Sphinx from her for a moment and give her a chance to plan her next move. She slid under the truck, thanking the Gods as she did so for not letting her get ran over, and jumped to her feet. However, the sphinx did not react as predicted. It must have been moving too fast to stop and rand straight into the side of the truck causing it to fall over and skid across the highway. Cars swerved to avoid being caught by the truck, some managing to get away whilst others crashed into the edges.

Percy watched in horror as the truck skidded and Ellie disappeared from sight behind a cloud of smoke. Had she been hit by the truck? Had the sphinx managed to get her? "Ellie!" Ellie lay hunched against the wall of the highway bridge, wincing as she moved. She seemed to have injured her arm somehow and had taken a nasty blow to the head. As she opened her eyes she had difficulty focusing. It took a great deal of effort to see the body of the Sphinx. In the centre of the road, where the truck had been driving moments before, lay the great furry mass of the sphinx. Percy began to run towards his sister, followed swiftly by Tommy; both had their swords ready at their sides.

Unfortunately the sphinx was still alive and kicking, beginning to stand up again. Ellie's bag had ripped as her slide across the road, and a few of her belongings had fallen out, some clothes, some matches, a torch and her Nintendo DS. The sphinx must have cut the fuel line of the truck as there was a trail of oil running along the road from the collision sight to the truck. The driver was nowhere in sight, maybe he got out, what would he of even saw? Five crazy kids running around the road? Ellie grabbed the matches, if she could get the truck to move the sphinx would be knocked off the side of the bridge down to the highway below. She lit the match "Run!" she shouted to the others as she dropped the match.

Percy stopped in mid run to watch the match hit the oil slick and hastily race towards the truck. He saw what was happening but Tommy had not yet spotted it, he was still running towards Ellie "Get down!" Percy jumped, pulling Tommy to the ground just before the truck lit up in a mass of flames.

It had gone exactly as Ellie had predicted, hitting the Sphinx directly and throwing it off the edge of the bridge. Over the noise of the explosion, a faint wail of pain or perhaps fear could be heard as she fell through the air. Tommy and Percy were hurt but had luckily survived the blast. Percy had dislocated Tommy's shoulder in pulling him to the ground and both had minor cuts where shrapnel had come into contact with them. Apart from that, they were simply a little shocked.

Ellie was a little worse for wear. A large gash cut across her left cheek, she had managed to break two of her ribs and the blow to her head was causing her to feel extremely dizzy. Her muscles were all screaming at her and, now that the Sphinx had been dealt with, she finally gave into her exhaustion.

The last thing any of the demigods expected was for the black SUV to drive into the centre of the scene. Dumbstruck the demigods simply watched, they weren't completely sure what the civilians had seen through the mist. Perhaps this was simply someone who saw the crash and wanted to make sure nobody was injured or to help those that were. A boy stepped out of the vehicle; he was tall with dark hair, jeans and a white shirt. He looked around him, taking in the four inured demigods that were staring at him before turning around and searching. He was looking for someone…and he found her.

Moving towards her, the mystery boy took Ellie into his arms and carried her back to the SUV. Percy jumped up to try and protects her, who was this guy? However, as Percy moved forward a strong wind pushed him back. Percy couldn't get close enough to him and had to watch as this stranger drove away with his sister. He had gotten so close for her to be taken from him at the last moment.

"Who the hell is he?" Tommy asked looking both angry and confused but nobody had the answer.


End file.
